Spark-arrester.



No. 831,656- PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

- W. L. DUDLEY.

SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1908 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.anuav-to'r I No. 831,656. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906. W. L. DUDLEY.

SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Wiliwoooca 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

W L DUDLEY SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. e, 1906.

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Snuenfqz WILLIAM L. DUDLEY, OF NASHVILIiE, TENNESSEE.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed January 6,1906. Serial No. 294,882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. DUDLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Arresters andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of devices commonly termedsparkarresters which have for their object the elimination of sparks andcinders from the gaseous prod nets of combustion. These devices are moreusually employed wherever engines are operated under forced draft, as insuch cases solid particles of considerable size and weight are easilycarried out of the stack with the gases. In locomotives the sparks andcinders emitted by the stack are frequently the cause of fires along theright of way and are a source of annoyance to passengers.

The object of the present invention is to provide asimple and efficientmeans for eliminating sparks and cinders from the gaseous products ofcombustion prior to their escape from the stack without decreasing thedraft and without creating back pressure upon the cylinders.

To this end my invention, generally stated, embraces means for causingthe gaseous products of combustion to flow or move in a curved path,whereby the solid particles carried by said gases are projectedtangentially by centrifugal force and thus eliminated prior to themixture of the exhaust-steam with said gases. The particular means shownin the drawings for accomplishing the desired result is embodied in ahorizontallydisposed curved peripherallyperforated smoke-flue interposedbetween the boilertubes and the stack and in such relation to theexhaust-nozzle as that the steam from the latter induces the flow of thegases in the curved smoke-flue and mixes with said gases after theelimination of cinders therefrom,

' whereby a free draft is maintained and back pressure upon thecylinders is avoided.

' There are other minor features of invention involvedin theconstruction and relative arrangement of the parts, all as willhereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings accompanying this speciwherein a series of slats aresubstituted for the perforated outer wall of the curved flue. Fig. 5 isa longitudinal central vertical section on the line 5 5, Fig. 6, of amodified form of the devices, showing the use of a. single curvedsmoke-flue. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5, ofthe modified form shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section of aportion of the device taken on the line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

I will now proceed to describe my inven tion more fully, so that othersskilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, Aindicates the front fluesheet of a locomotive-boiler;B, that portion of the shell termed the smoke-box; C, the stack; D D,the live-steam pipes leading from the dome to the cylinders and fromwhich, if desired, a jet may be taken to the exhaust-nozzle; E, thepetticoat-pipe, and F the exhaust-nozzle, all or any of which parts maybe of the usual or any approved construction, though by preference thevertical cross-section of the smoke-box transversely of the boiler is ofD form, for reasons which will hereinafter appear. v

1 indicates the top, 2 the bottom, 3 the inner wall, and 4 the outer orperipheral wall of'a smoke-flue of curved form embodying my invention,the curvature being preferably an arc of about one hundred and eightydegrees, though a greater or lesser curvature may be given the flue, ifdesired. This smoke-flue, which may be of sheet metal, preferablysheetsteel, abuts or is attached at its inner or inlet end to the frontflue-sheetAof the boiler, surrounds and includes the rectilinear exhaustnozzle F at its outlet, and is connected with or opens into or opensimmediately below the lower end of the etticoat-pipe E orthe stack whenthe Petticoat-pipe is omitted, so that the roducts of combustion afterleaving the oiler-tubes are caused to take a curved path by the actionof the exhauststeam, with-which, however, said products do not unite ormingle until they reach a point where substantially all the heaviermatters, such as sparks and cinders, have been eliminated and only the'gases and lighter products of combustion remain. The

outer or peripheral wall of said curved smoke-flue is perforated, as at4 to permit the escape of the sparks and cinders, and the lips ormargins of said openings are preferably: curved inwardly, as at 4 tointerceptthesparks and cinders and direct them into the openings P.- Inthe'construction shown in the principal figures of the drawings. two

of said fines, each occupying a lateral half of thesmoke-box B and eachdelivering at the center of the-boicbelow the petticoat pipe or stack;are 'shown, and-the said flueshave outerwalls 6 which, in connectionwith transverse walls 6, form a series ofperipherallydisposedcompartments 7, that communicate WiththeI-flueandopenbelow into a dead- -space b, beneath which is a' hopper 8, providedwith a slide-valve 9. This valve may be operated from time to time bythe engi-- neer through the medium of a piston and cylinder connectedwith the air system of the engine to discharge the cinders at such timesany obstructions.

As hereinbefore-pointed out, the vertical as the-throttle is closed.- Ifdesired, however, a single curved smoke-flue of the char-i In someinstancesyfor the sake of simplic-= ity of constructiony instead :offorming the peripheral wallwith compartmentsfi, as: shown in 'Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, saidwall may-be'formed of a series of slats 4, Fig. 4,between which the' sparks and cinders will escape directly into thechamberB and drop thence into the dead-space or hopper beneath, and'inorder to prevent clogging said slats, if desired, may be pivoted'andconnected to a rod in front of or outside the flue and may beoperated-by said'rod, as in the case of a.Ve

netian blind or a shaking-grate, to dislodge cross+section-of thesmoke-box -B transversely of the boiler is shown in Fig.- 2 as of Dform, while in the modification shown in Figm5 the cross-section of-thesmoke-box transversely of the boiler is circular or of the commonfor'm,= ands -it will beinoted that in the-case-of the D cross-section-,Figs. :1 and 2',

the curved smoke-dlue may: be narrowed anddeepened,- as a result ofwhich-any lift from the-lower tubes of theboiler: is avoided andthe'deposit and elimination of cinders is facilitated.

A sp ark-arrester embodying the principles of construction hereinbeforeset forth will operate as follows: Induced by the exhauststeam issuingfrom the nozzle the travel of the products of combustion from theboilertubes to the stack will be in a curved path substantiallyencircling the exhaust-column, and the centrifu al force of the movinggases acting on the sparks and 'cinders willproject the lattertangentiallvthrough the openings in the peripheral wall of the smokeflue and into the dead-space beyond, the productsof combustion enteringthe path of the. exhaust-steam after being relieved of such matters aswould be objectionable-if emitted from the stack.

Among the advantages incident to my in- 'vention hereinbefore setforthare, first, the avoidance of any obstruction to the draft, such asresults when spark-arrestingdevices are interposed between the exhaustnozzle and the stack; second-,the avoidance of back pressure onthecylinders' in general: and 'of' back pressure of one cylinder: uponthe other,-

and, third, the prevention of cross-firing of the exhaust-steam in thestack, all of which adds to the efficiency of the engine and'saves fuel.

Having thus described myiinvention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters-Patent, is

1. In a spark-arrester, the combination ofv a flue-sheet, a smoke-box, astack, an ex* haust-nozzle within the smoke-box in verti r cal alinementwith the stack, =and"an arc-' shaped smoke --flue horizontallydisposedwithin the smoke box, said flue'having: an

inlet adjacent to the flue sheet and an outlet in vertical alinementwith the stack and which incloses the exhaust-nozzles- 2. In aspark-arrester, the combination of a flue-:sheet, a smoke-box, a stack,an ex+- haust-nozzle wlthin the smoke-box in aline-' ment with thestack, and anzarc-shapedsmoke-flue havingits outer wall perforated atintervals, said smoke-flue horizontally disposed within the smoke-boxand having an inlet adjacent to the flue-sheet and'an outlet adjacent tothe exhaust nozzle and beneath the stack.-

' 4 3. In a spark-arrester the combination 0 a flue-shee=t,' smoke-box,stack, an exhaustnozzle located Withinthe smoke-box beneaththe-stack;-and a plurality of arc-shaped:

smoke-flues horizontally disposed within the adjacent to the flue-sheetand an outlet adjacent to the exhaust-nozzle andbeneath the; stack.

4. In a spark-arrester,= thecombination of a flue-sheet, a smoke+boX-,'a stack, an eX"' haust-nozzle within the smoke-box in verti+ calalinement with the stack, and'apluralityi smoke-box, each-of said flueshavingan inlet of arc-shaped smoke-flues horizontally disposed Withinthe smoke-box, said smokeues having a common inlet adjacent to theflue-sheet, and a common outlet beneath the stack and which incloses theexhaust-nozzle. 5. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a flue-sheet,a smoke-box, a stack, an exhaust-nozzle within the smoke-box in verticalalinement with the stack, and a plurality of horizontally-disposedarc-shaped smokefiues located on op osite sides of the smokebox, each ofsaid fl iies having an inlet adjacent to the flue-sheet and an outletwhich incloses the exhaust-nozzle and is in vertical alinement with thestack.

6. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a smoke-box, a stack, anexhaust-nozzle within the box in vertical alinement with'the stack, anda curved smoke-flue having an inlet, an outlet, and a perforateperipheral wall, said smoke-flue being horizontally-disposed within thesmoke-box and having its outlet beneath the stack and surrounding theexhaust-nozzle.

7. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a smoke-box, a stack intowhich the smokeboX opens, an exhaust-nozzle alined with and deliveringinto the stack, a curved smoke-flue having a perforated peripheral wall,said smoke-flue disposed within the smoke-box and having an outlet whichincloses the exhaust-nozzle and is in vertical alinement with the stack.

8. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a smoke-box, a stack intowhich the smokebox opens, an exhaust-nozzle within the smoke-box, and anaro-shaped smoke-flue horizontally disposed within the smoke-box andhavin an outlet which incloses the exhaust-nozz e. p

9. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a smoke-box, a stack intowhich the smokeboX opens, an exhaust-nozzle within the smoke-box, and anarc-shaped smoke-flue having its peripheral, Wall perforated atintervals throughout its course, said smokefiue being disposed withinthe smoke-box and having anoutlet adjacent tothe exhaust-nozzle.

10. In a spark-arrester, the combination of a smoke-box of D-shapedcross-section, a stack into which the smoke-box opens, anexhaust-nozzle, and an arc-shaped smokegue horizontally disposed Withinthe smoke- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM. L. DUDLE

